75 Before 75

View towards Hartland Point

This autumn 2022 I am tackling our “unconquered” sections of the South West Coast Path between Hartland and Lands End. These total around 75 miles – and my partner, Helen, and I will be endeavouring to walk these sections before my 75^th birthday at the end of November.

There are 8 “walking chunks” – which are as follows:-

1.    1. Hartland to Morwenstow                                              10
2. Widemouth Bay, Bude to Crackington Haven                 6
3. Nr Pentire Point to Polzeath then Rock                         7.5 (circular)
4.  Mawgan Porth to Newquay        1st Oct                   7 
5.  Perranporth to Trevaunance Cove   2nd Oct        10 (circular)
6.   Porthtowan to Portreath                                            6.5 (circular)
7.   Portreath to St Ives                      17/18 Sept        17
8.   St Ives to Cape Cornwall               2 days                   17

(Walks in green have now been completed)

The approximate mileage is shown against each section, and is around 81m with the circular elements included. These are where there are no reliable buses and we have to make the walk back to the starting points. The actual Coast Path mileage is just over 75.

PLANNING

We have 10 weekends in which to complete the challenge – starting 17^th September and finishing on 27^th November. This means that with the two shorter sections probably being done over one weekend, we should manage the remaining sections with time to spare.

Travel and the Walks

We plan to use bus journeys for either the ‘out run’ part of each walk, or the return to car base. The two shorter walks cannot use this facility so they will be circulars - making them longer! Car parking bases will be either at National Trust car parks (free) or Council P&D’s. Buses, particularly on Sundays, are less frequent and all too often some services are cancelled. This is why we take the choice most often of doing the bus journey TO our walking start point, and then we are walking back to the car.

Challenges

The biggest walking challenge is undoubtedly St Ives to Cape Cornwall. It is a section of nearly 18 miles and the ascent/descent profile of St Ives to Porthmeor (half way point) looks particularly tricky.
That said, we will be walking in autumnal weather rather than summer heat – although the underfoot conditions may not be that dry. All walks are on the Atlantic side of the Cornish Coast, and a small part of the North Devon Atlantic Coast.

I am dedicating this challenge to raise funds for Cancer Research. My Giving page is:-
https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/peters-giving-page-635?proxy=page%2Fpeters-giving-page-635

Cape Cornwall